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A review by thebookberrie
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
2.0
Batshit but not a good batshit.
The Family Upstairs begins with Libby getting a letter on her birthday that tells her about her birth parents and that she is set to inherit an abandoned mansion. Twenty-five years ago, police were called to the house to find three adults dead and a baby crying, along with the four children that lived there missing. Told in three different POVs, we get to the truth of it all.
First off, what? Second off... what?? This book was much more confusing than it had to be. It felt like most of the book was oversharing details that weren't important until we finally get to the reveal, and then it overly explained everything that happened then. While I did think what happened back then was interesting (and horrifying as hell), it was all just so unrealistic and wacky. It was also kind of stupid and lowkey annoying to even read about. I had this problem with another book by this author too so I guess that is just her thing.
There's just a line that has to be gently walked between shocking twist and super ridiculous and just an all around dumb turn of events. This book was boring for most of it before going off the rails on a crazy train and I just don't know what to think about it besides a flashing sign that says yikes.
I wasn't a fan of the three POVs. While I love a good past and present POV, there didn't need to be a third one and I hate it when books have third person POVs and then someone gets first person. Either all be third or all be first. I liked that the audiobook had different narrators for them at least.
This was just an overly confusing mess and I still feel like I don't get it.
The Family Upstairs begins with Libby getting a letter on her birthday that tells her about her birth parents and that she is set to inherit an abandoned mansion. Twenty-five years ago, police were called to the house to find three adults dead and a baby crying, along with the four children that lived there missing. Told in three different POVs, we get to the truth of it all.
First off, what? Second off... what?? This book was much more confusing than it had to be. It felt like most of the book was oversharing details that weren't important until we finally get to the reveal, and then it overly explained everything that happened then. While I did think what happened back then was interesting (and horrifying as hell), it was all just so unrealistic and wacky. It was also kind of stupid and lowkey annoying to even read about. I had this problem with another book by this author too so I guess that is just her thing.
There's just a line that has to be gently walked between shocking twist and super ridiculous and just an all around dumb turn of events. This book was boring for most of it before going off the rails on a crazy train and I just don't know what to think about it besides a flashing sign that says yikes.
I wasn't a fan of the three POVs. While I love a good past and present POV, there didn't need to be a third one and I hate it when books have third person POVs and then someone gets first person. Either all be third or all be first. I liked that the audiobook had different narrators for them at least.
This was just an overly confusing mess and I still feel like I don't get it.